Cormorant masters and boatmen prepare sea cormorants for the nights “Ukai” on July 2, 2014 in Gifu, Japan. In this traditional fishing art “ukai”, a cormorant master called “usho” manages cormorants to capture ayu or sweetfish. The ushos of River Nagara have been the official staff of the Imperial Household Agency of Japan since 1890. Currently six imperial fishermen of Nagara River conduct special fishing to contribute to the Imperial family eight times a year, on top of daily fishing from mid-May to mid-October. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Swan Uppers try to capture a swan and it's Cygnets on the River Thames near Windsor, England, during Swan Upping, with Windsor Castle in background, Tuesday July 20, 2021. The ancient tradition of Swan Upping is the annual census to gauge the numbers and health of the swan population on the River Thames. (Photo by Steve Parsons/PA Wire via AP Photo)

This extraordinary series of close-up photos turns mundane insects into terrifying beasts from another world. The bugs are captured in intricate detail by photographer Javier Ruperez, using a special lens, revealing just how complex the tiny creatures are. (Photo by Javier Ruperez/Solent News & Photo Agency)

Kacper Kowalski was born in 1977. With a degree in architecture, he focuses on aerial photography. Both a pilot and a photographer, he has unique control over each shot. As a result he captures previously unseen natural environments and ordinarily inaccessible cityscapes. In this way unreal, almost graphic pictures come into being. They show patterns, symmetries and asymmetries created by humans and the nature.

Photographer Mark Tipple captured the underwater pictures with his friend Mike as the surfer. But the rough waves of the coast of the Cook Islands slammed Mike into the sea bed during the shoot, causing him to slice his skin open and badly bruise his body. Photo: Mike diving beneath a shallow wave. (Photo by Mark Tipple/Caters News Agency)

Iceland is known as the land of fire and ice and these images capture the essence of that perfectly. Incredible ever-changing landscapes demonstrate the contrast between the freezing ice and burning skies that dominate Iceland's beauty. The stunning pictures taken by photographer Lurie Belegurschi show the breathtaking and utterly unique ice plains formed in sub-zero temperatures. (Photo by Lurie Belegurschi/Caters News)

Photographer Howard Schatz had an idea: place actors in a series of roles and dramatic situations to reveal the essence of their characters. Such was the premise behind his book, In Character: Actors Acting, which captures some of Hollywood’s most emotive stars in the act of, well, making faces. Luckily for us, he continued the tradition for Vanity Fair. Here are some of the best.